THIRD POV
Helen remained still for a moment after her assessment, her gaze fixed on Roman’s weakening form as the weight of what she had just concluded settled fully into the room.
The silence that followed was not empty—it was heavy, pressing, final in a way none of them wanted to accept.
Roman lay barely conscious, his breathing shallow and uneven. The silver’s effect had spread deeper than surface injury; it had drained him of the strength required to function as an anchor in a ritual of life. His body trembled faintly, not with resistance anymore, but with the slow surrender of exhaustion and pain.
Helen exhaled slowly.
“He can’t do it,” she said at last.
Alexander looked at her immediately, his expression tightening.
Helen did not soften the truth.
“He’s too weak,” she continu
